KUMRO CHHAKKA FUSED ( PUMPKIN CURRY BENGALI)

Many of my friends, semi friends, semi-foes  and foes called me up, sent mails, passed message through intermediary  with prayers, requests, warnings, and threats with dire consequences etc to refrain from preambles and get down to to business with ingredients, process, thanks etc, They are not at all interested in what happened between "SOMEONE" and me, if I was loitering in the park in the name  of brisk walking, what was the dialogue between me and the Tigress prawn etc..etc.

I am in a great dilema, because non of my 38 blog followers , has said any thing like this. There may be two reasons, either they enjoy the introduction ( there are confirmed people who do enjoy) or they are too modest to say " dont write all these craps and get down to business of cooking".

Anyway , whatever I write in introduction, comes automatically. So dear Foody friends, please let me know if I should continue with some spontaneous introduction or straight get down to the business of cooking . Of course I write the blog in such a way that you can always start from Recipe or Ingredients para and ignore the bla, bla at the beginning.

THE RECIPE. 

It is a very common and traditional Bengali recipe with pumpkin. It has undergone some fusion over the years, so I have put a suffix  FUSED. The fusion is nothing but adding a bit of grated coconut taken from another famous Bengali dish called " Narkel Kumri" ( Coconut and Pumpkin). It is traditionally a vege dish without Onion and garlic.

Here I am giving 2 versions, with and without onion. The basic aroma comes from Panch PhoDon seasoning ( bengali ) cumin and a over doze of ginger for the temple / Jain version; and for the other fried onion smell will add on.

INGREDIENTS.

Pumpkin 250 gms cut to 11/2 inch pcs ( approx)

 Potato 200 gms cut to 1 inch ( I haven't used here and you may skip too, but it is used.)

 whole black gram 3 tbsp ( 1/2  fistful approx, ( ladies fist size, not mine :-)

grated coconut 1 heap tbsp (or more, I hate to grate coconut as I am scared of grating my palm ) 

 Ginger 1 heap tbsp, chopped fine

Cumin powder 1 tsp , soaked in water.

Sugar 1 tsp or more. This dish has a sweet note. The Pumpkin itself is  sweet so sugar has to be adjusted. 1 level tsp will be added always.

 Red chili powder 1/2 tsp ( more the merrier)

Turmeric 3/4th tsp

Mustard oil 1 tbsp ( or white oil or ghee) for cooking 

For seasoning 

Panch phodon 1 tsp ( Methi, Fennel, cumin, Kala jeera, Mustard (1st 3 are mandatory) mixed , equal proportion).

 Bay leaf 1

 Dry red chili 2

Garnishing 

Roasted cumin powder 1 tsp heap ( if you are roasting fresh batch please add 2 red chili, roast and grind)

1 tsp Ghee for garnishing 

For the onion version.

onion medium 1 finely chopped.

for the seasoning 

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp fennel ( level)

 cardamom 2

clove 2

cinamon 3/4th inch 

red chili dry 1

PROCESS 

Soak the black gram in water for 2-4 hrs.

In a Kadhai, heat oil and give seasoning of bay leaf, Panch Phodon, red chili  

add potato  and black gram soute under low flame for 5 minutes. ( sprinkle water if needed)

Add cumin powder-paste and fry for a minute or two

Add Pumpkin , ginger, red chili powder, Turmeric, salt and mix.  Continue frying for 3-4 minutes.

Cover and allow pumpkin to release water. Add grated coconut .

Add water just to ensure that the potato will be cooked and little water will be left at the end. (Add water and boil if potato or pumpkin is not done.) It will have some gravy and pumpkin will be too soft and falling apart type.

Add 1 tsp or more sugar ( it will have a sweet note) , adjust salt.

Add ghee and roasted jeera powder, mix and cover.

Onion version

It will be essentially same 

Add onion after seasoning ( sea above) and fry to light brown then add the black gram and Potato, soute under low flame. Then proceed as above,  

Normally eat with Puri or Luchi also roti and rice.
Happy eating 


Here is a Himalayan wild flower for the great Chefs